samples



. 1,637,660 1927' J. w. SAMPLES SHIPPING CRATE 7 Filed Oct. 6, 1926 2 Sheets-$heet l awwemtot 1,637,660 6 J. w. SAMPLES SHIPPING CRATE Filed Oct. 6, 192.6 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GHQ M104 0 Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. SAMPLES, OF SUE, WESTVIRGINIA.

SHIPPING CRATE.

Application filed October 6, 1926. Serial No. 139,891.

This invention aims to provide a crate which may be folded up into small compass when not in use, novel means being provided for displaying addresses on the crate.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is an end elevation;

' Figure 4 is a cross section wherein the sides have been folded inwardly;

Figure 5 is a side elevation wherein the folding operation has been carried a step further than in Figure 4, parts appearing in section; and

Figure .6 is a plan view illustrating part of the mechanism for displaying'the address.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a crate, it being under stood that the term crate is to be construed as meaning any kind of a container which may be constructed in accordance with the claims of this invention. The foregoing definition being understood, it may be stated that the crate (which may be made of any desired material) includes a base 1 made up of corner posts 2, the corner posts being connected at the ends of the crate by sills 3 to which a bottom 4 is secured. Side walls are provided, and are equipped at their ends and near to their lower edges with trunnions 6 that are journaled in the posts 2, the construction being such that the side walls 5 are hingedly mounted, for inwardly swinging movement as shown, for instance, in Figure 4. The side walls 5 are supplied at their ends, and at their upper edges, with projections 7 adapted to be received in seats 8 that are formed in end walls 9, the posts 10 of the end walls being united by tongue and groove hinges 11 with the upper ends of the posts 2 of the base 1. In thelower portions of the end walls 9, extensions 12 are slidably mounted. The crate includes a top 14 having a lid 15 which is hingedly mounted as at 16. There are projections 17 on the corners of the top 14, and these projections are adapted to be received in seats 18 formed in the upper parts of the end walls 9. Latch hooks 19 are pivoted to the posts '10 ofthe end walls 9. There are keepers 20 which project horizontally from the upper rails of the side walls 5, and the lower rails of the side walls are supplied with depending keepers 21.

IVhen the crate is set up for use, the end walls 9 stand vertically, the projections 7 on the side walls 5 are received in seats 8 of the end walls 9, the latch hooks 19 are on gaged with keepers 20, the top 14 is disposed above the side walls 5, and the projections 17 on the top 14 are received in the seats 18 that are formed in the upper portions of the end walls 9, as shown in Figure 4.

In order to collapse the crate, the latch hooks 19 are disengaged from the keepers 20, the end walls 9 first are swung outwardly a little, on the hinges 11, to disengage the projections 17 of the lid 14 from the seats 18in the end walls 9, and to disengage the projections 7 of the side walls 5 and the seats 8 in the postslO of the end walls 9. The top 14 then is lifted off and the extensions 12 are slid upwardly in the end walls 9 until the bottom rails of the extensions 12 abut against the bottom rails of the end walls 9. The side walls 5 are folded inwardly until they overlap the bottom 4, as shown in Fig gure 4. The top 14 is placed on the end walls 5 after they have been folded inwardly as .in Figure 4. The end walls 9 are folded over on top of the part 14, as shown in F igure 5, and the hook latches 19 are engaged with the keepers 21 to hold the crate in collapsed condition.

The foregoing descrlptlon relates peculiarly to those characteristics of the crate which enable it to be folded up into small compass for return shipment.

Passing now to features which relate to the displaying of the address, it will be observed that there is a card holder'22 on 7 dress'24, therefore, can be-read Witheut difii':

culty.-- When, however, the crate, incollapsed form, is being returned to the-original shipper, then the,top le isturned up: side-down, so that the card holder 22 and the card 23 are underneath, the address-of the person to Whom the merchandise Was shipped in the crate, being then concealed; Q n the outer surface otone of the end v alls 9,;there'is aii'holder 25 adapted to ret ain, a;

card 26" on which the return address is in; scribed asfshown, at'Q K. The card holder 25 isjprae Callycovered by aplate-like giiard cra e ia je up asshown in Eigure l a d'3,l

u. hat

28' v vin fingers 29 extending around the hol er 25 transversely and forming means) whereby the guard is .slidably I mount- 7 d, On; the card; iolde 22 vT e nge 2 are conneet'edgat their inner ends, as shownat 303901155: 0f the pindles 3 a e m P t ofth'e extension 12' of the end Walls 9, the

pindles eithe xt nsion; ing idabl in tl lovver rail jo f the end'vvall 9. I l/Vhen the the extensions 1 2,-a re sliddovvrnvardly along the bottom- 3, to; close the ends of thecrate, I

Midiitll vthe guard 28; is" carried, downwardly 0,; t l; 1a" t it covers the card 26' in the holde 2.5. The return address thus is] covered, as' shown in Figureg, and the shipping addressis exposed, as shown at 2% in Fig- When the, crate iscollapsedand when Q 1 4? hflfibn lTI lHup -Side-down, as herei foreexplained, the address at, 24:

can he se e nv but ifthe BXtGIISlOllStlQ are shoved fifmvjardly on, the; end Walls 9, the; uard, tli t d 26 a11dt111e 'ad i fiS are disclosed is carri d o uc a pos ion that dep. ifcltedfin Figure 6. It isneeessaryto slide-th extensions 12 inwardly, when the crate is collapsed, so-that the. extensions 12' willnot project, out, from. the ends of the collapsed= crate'-an observation which vvill I be understoodreadily when Figure 5, and particularly the left hand end of Figure 5, 1

isnoted; I a I What is claimed is a 1. In-a device of the .class described, a base including corner posts and a bottom supportedth'ereby,side-walls, means for mountingthe side Walls hingedly, end walls hinged to the posts andspaced froni the bottom, extensions slidable o'n'theendwallsandbrid'g swinging movement, aneXtension slidable on the Wall, toward and away vfrom the bot I tom, cooperating members including an address carrier and a gual idtherefor, one. of said cooperatingjmenibers being securedt'to the side all, and meansfor-connecting the other ofsaid'cooperating'membersto the extension for movement with the extension, whereby, when relative movement between said cooperating members takes" place, the guard, in a predetermined position, willfreveal the addresscarrier, 1 I I In testimony that I "claim: the foregoing as my own, I have heretoafhxed my signature. i

JOHN W.'SAMIPLES a 

